CLEVELAND -- The McLendon Foundation is proud to recognize the eight winners of its Postgraduate Scholarship Awards.

"The McLendon Foundation is extremely proud to recognize its 2021 Postgraduate Scholarship Recipients," said Andrea Williams, President of the McLendon Foundation and COO of the College Football Playoff (CFP). "The Foundation has made a concerted effort over the last year to inspire and educate those in the industry and beyond on the legacy of John McLendon. These eight individuals are shining examples of what Coach McLendon stood for and they are more than deserving of the scholarship in his name."

The 2021 John McLendon Minority Postgraduate Scholarship recipients are:

Student	Undergraduate Institution	Undergraduate Major
Dorien Dickey	Lenoir-Rhyne University	Sports Management
Austin Jones	Sarah Lawrence College	Computer Science
Faith McKie	Claflin University	Sport Management
Kurt Russell	Ohio University	Sport Management, Business Pre-Law and Marketing
Averi Salvador	Temple University	Business Administration
Ishita Tibrewal	Mount Holyoke College	Economics/Sports Management
Jasmin Wooten	University of Florida	Public Relations
Maria Yim	University of Central Florida	Hospitality Management

Through the support of the Fiesta Bowl's endowment commitment to the Foundation, a McLendon Foundation Minority Postgraduate Scholarship will be awarded each year to a student associated with an Arizona-based four-year institution. The McLendon Scholarship, presented by the Fiesta Bowl, is being awarded to Kurt Russell, who plans to pursue a Juris Doctor and Master of Sport Management degree from Arizona State University this fall.
 
"Being a partner in the McLendon Foundation Minority Postgraduate Scholarship program for five years has allowed us to help open doors with opportunities for an impressive next generation of leaders in collegiate athletics," said Fiesta Bowl Board Chair Patrick Barkley. "Kurt has clear goals for his career path, building that knowledge and experience base at Arizona State's Sports Law and Business program will benefit athletes in several service functions for years to come."
 
In addition to the Fiesta Bowl, the National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals (N4A) has continued its sponsorship of two of the $10,000 scholarships. A portion of this contribution to the Foundation is in memory of Curtis Jones, former associate athletics director for academic support at West Virginia, who passed away suddenly in September 2013. Jones was a N4A Board Member at the time of his death.

The McLendon Minority Postgraduate Scholarship winners will each receive a $10,000 grant to be used towards postgraduate studies in athletics administration. Funding for the scholarship program has been provided in part by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA); the Cleveland Cavaliers; Major League Baseball (MLB); the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC); the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA); the National Basketball Association (NBA); the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA); Capital One; and Sears, Roebuck and Co. As of the 2020-21 academic year, the John McLendon Minority Postgraduate Scholarship Program has awarded over 100 scholarships, totaling over $1 million.

Biographies on each of the winners and more information about the McLendon Scholarship Award can be found below.

Dickey earned a bachelor's degree in sports management from Lenoir-Rhyne University in December 2019, where he was a two-sport athlete participating in football and track and field. He is currently serving as a graduate assistant in student-athlete development at Clemson University, after gaining experience in marketing and sports information. He is expected to graduate with a master of science in athletic leadership in December 2022.
 
Jones completed a bachelor's degree from Sarah Lawrence College with a 3.3 GPA. While at Sarah Lawrence, he was a member of the men's basketball team, where he was named the all-time leader in assists. In the fall, he will continue his education at Temple University in the master of science in sport business program.
 
McKie earned a bachelor of science degree from Claflin University, where she maintained a 3.97 GPA and participated in the track and field program. In the fall, she will enter her final year of the Georgetown Master's in Public Relations and Corporate Communications program.
 
Russell received a bachelor's degree from Ohio University's College of Business, ending with a 3.6 GPA. In the spring of 2021 he was awarded both the Outstanding Senior Leader Award and the Ohio University College of Business Suit & Tie Award. In the fall, he plans to continue his education at Arizona State University to obtain a Juris Doctor and Master of Sport Management. 
 
Salvador completed a bachelor's degree in business administration at Temple University in August 2020. She played on the women's volleyball team, while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. In the fall, she is entering her final year of the MBA program at Villanova University.
 
Tibrewal graduated magna cum laude from Mount Holyoke College in May 2018 where she double majored in economics and sports management and maintained a 3.77 GPA. In addition, she played varsity tennis all four years, serving as a captain her senior year. In the fall, she will begin the MBA/MS in sport management program at UMass Amherst.
 
Wooten received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Florida in May 2020. She majored in public relations and maintained a 3.91 GPA. Currently serving as a University Athletic Association assistant student-athlete enhancement coordinator, she will begin her second year of the master's program at Florida in the fall.
 
Yim completed her bachelor's degree in hospitality management in the spring of 2021 from UCF. She participated on the women's rowing team, while maintaining a 3.95 GPA. In the fall, she will continue her education at Seattle University studying in the MBA program.

About the Fiesta Bowl: The Fiesta Bowl is a world-class community organization that executes innovative experiences, drives economic growth and champions charitable causes, inspiring pride in all Arizonans. As a nonprofit organization, it believes in the importance of community outreach and service. Through charitable giving, the organization strives to enhance Arizona nonprofit organizations that contribute to the success of communities through youth, sports and education. Since 1971, the Fiesta Bowl has worked to increase its footprint across the state and work to benefit Arizonans year-round, during and outside of bowl season.
 
About NACDA: NACDA, now in its 56th year, is the professional and educational Association for more than 22,000 college athletics administrators at more than 2,200 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 6,500 athletics administrators annually attend NACDA & Affiliates Convention Week. Additionally, NACDA manages 17 professional associations and four foundations. For more information on NACDA, visit www.nacda.com.
 
About the McLendon Foundation
The McLendon Foundation, established in 1999, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded and administered by NACDA. Through the scholarship program and leadership initiative, the McLendon Foundation provides minorities educational resources, practical experiences and serves as a vehicle for networking, career advancement and advocacy on behalf of the profession. More information regarding the McLendon Foundation can be found at minorityleaders.org.